The Real Training
by alynwa
Summary: Written for the Short Affairs challenge on LJ. The prompt word is "exchange" and the prompt color is white.


Napoleon and one of his newest agents, Gary Franks*, were walking in Central Park one late September day. "Like I was saying, graduating Survival School is like getting your driver's license. Just like you really start learning how to drive in the real world, now you can _really_ begin learning how to be an agent." He pulled a white business size envelope from his suit jacket's inner pocket. "Did you read the contents?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Solo, I did."

"Good and call me Napoleon." He handed the envelope to the junior agent. "Illya is walking from the other direction to intercept us. He has an envelope identical to this one, but it contains a different message. What I want you to do is exchange envelopes with him without speaking or slowing down. Think you can do it?"

"Yes. We learned how to hand off documents in our first term." He smiled confidently as he saw the Russian approaching. _Piece of cake,_ he thought. As Illya got closer, he readied himself. Suddenly, Illya appeared to stumble and bumped right into Gary, which caused him to drop his envelope onto the path. "Damn it!" he swore softly as he bent to retrieve it. "Sorry about that, Napoleon. At least, he wasn't able to give me his envelope."

"You should check your pockets." He smiled at the look of surprise on Franks' face when he withdrew a white envelope from his suit pocket.

"How did he…?"

"We've been doing this a lot longer than you have." He discretely pulled his communicator out and said into it, "Come back, Partner, and make the exchange with me." He took back the envelope and looked at the man beside him. "Watch and learn, Gary."

Again, Illya walked toward the two men, but this time, he jostled Napoleon and kept walking. After a moment, Napoleon handed an envelope to Gary. "Open it."

"This is not the message we had, but that doesn't mean…"

Napoleon held up his hand to silence him as he spoke into his communicator. "Hold up the envelope, Illya."

Franks turned to see the Russian did indeed have the other envelope. "I never saw the exchange! And I was _looking_ for it!"

"Your first mistake was not folding the envelope while it was into your pocket to a size you could palm. Secondly, and it's not your fault, you know your classmates. After awhile, you start subconsciously making accommodations so that you're both successful. Illya didn't do that for you."

"Well, you two have been partners for years, so couldn't the same be said about you?"

"Fair question, Gary. Have you met the new transfer from UNCLE Africa?"

"Thulani Igwe? Yes, we met in the cafeteria; he arrived to New York the same day I did."

"Good. I met him the same day you did. Mr. Waverly had him brought to North America." He used his communicator again. "Open Channel D."

"Yes, Mr. Solo?"

"Mr. Waverly, would you please ask Miss Rogers to give Mr. Igwe a practice hand off envelope and have him meet us in Central Park to demonstrate an exchange?"

"He'll be there in twenty minutes."

Sure enough, they saw Thulani striding toward them twenty minutes later. Napoleon nudged Franks and started walking in that direction. Gary caught up and watched as Igwe and Solo bumped into each other and kept going. Napoleon handed Gary an envelope. "Check the message."

Gary wasn't surprised this time to see it was a different message and that Igwe waved the other envelope over his head as he walked.

"Thanks, Thulani. You can head back to HQ now," Napoleon said into his device. Disassembling it, he said to Gary as he put it away, "Like I said, now that you've graduated Survival School, you can begin learning how to be an agent. Let's head back."

Illya and Napoleon were sitting in the Commissary eating sandwiches. Napoleon wiped his mouth and said, "I told Gary to practice that hand off with as many people as he can."

"He will get the hang of it. After all, _you_ did."

"I seem to recall that it was _I_ who helped _you_ perfect your style. You were used to that less than subtle KGB method."

"It is not often I will admit it, but yes, you did help. It was the one time I accepted your boast of being senior agent by two years."

"I remember. I marked it on my calendar."

"Blockhead."


End file.
